hand operated chain saw

Joined
Mar 25, 2002
Messages
254
Hey all,

I'm starting to decide what I want to carry this summer during camping excursions. Instead of a hatchet i'm thinking of carrying this.

I'm just wondering if anyone has any experience/opinions of this seemingly great saw.

http://www.1sks.com/store/ultimate-survival-saber-cut-saw.html

Also what survival knife would you carry with your saw?

-under/around $100-125 dollars (what i'm looking at)

Sog Seal 2000? RTAK? Becker 7? camp rat?

Thanks for your insights and ideas!

:p
 
I haven't used the hand-powered chainsaws, but here's a couple of links from www.equipped.com that have info on them:
http://www.equipped.org/devices24.htm (saws & axes in general)
http://www.equipped.org/saws.htm (review of this type saw in particular)

The saw that I have used, like for its light weight & portability, its cutting ability, and dexterity in use is the Pocket Saw as seen at http://www.tashirohardware.com/special.html There is a review of it here. However, like other folding pruning saws, it's limit is wood of about 5"-6" maximum diameter. FWIW these folding pruners are really lightweight & easily stashed in a pack. Another option in saws is the Stanley model 15-333 folding saw for about $10 USD. Its clamp will hold both jigsaw & recip saw blades. About 12" is the longest recip blades I've spotted so far, which is only a bit longer than the Pocket Saw blade.

(edited to add) If you are carrying a saw, IMHO a Swamp Rat Camp Tramp is an indestructo knife that is a good complement to the saw for about $125. If you want a cheaper way to go, the Becker BK7 is my recommended blade for the $50 price window. A saw, a mid-size 7" blade, and a SAK should handle your woodsy chores fine.
 
I have used the "other" saw of this type - the pocket chainsaw - worked great! Went through a 4" diam log in about 30 secs - nice clean cut, too. Definitely worth the $20 IMO. A bit heavy for a pocket survival kit, though.

I, too, favor the BK7 as a nice inexpensive fixed blade - I really like mine.

I would add a decent multi-tool (my kit multi-tool is a geber Military Provisional Tool - cost less than $25 from Smoky Mountain Knifeworks a while back) to put in the pouch & a pocket sharpener, a ferro-rod of some sort & a flashlight (CMG infinity works pretty goos & takes cheap AA batteries) and you'ld be pretty set.

Best of all, you could have all of it for less than $125 if you shop around.

You can get the BK7, Infinity Task Light, Lansky Pocket Crocksticks for less than $80 from 1sks.com, a BSA hot spark ferro rod for less than $3 from a Boy Scout supply store, and the pocket chainsaw for less than $25 from various places.

Sam
 
I am in the Army and stationed at Fort Drum. I always carry a Coghlan's Sierra Saw in my Rucksack. If you will be cutting alot of small stuff say up to 4 inches, it eats it like candy. The Sierra Saw is a folding, lock blade that cuts on the pull stroke but when you get used to it the saw dust flys.
 
Thanks all,

If i land myself a good summer job (I move home for the summer, I'm at school right now)
I'll get the U/S Chain saw and a Swamp Rat Camp Tramp.

If i end up with something lesser, i'll end up with the pocket saw and becker bk7.

I have a Gerber Legend, Sog Switch Plier and a plethera of SAKS to complement the pair.

I'm looking forward to warmer weather. We're expecting a little snow storm tonight. (10-15 cm) (4"-6") :rolleyes:
 
Redstripe_808 :

Instead of a hatchet i'm thinking of carrying this.

[pocket chain saw]

Unless you want the gizmo factor, a folding pruning saw is a much better tool, Felco makes a decent oneas does Tashiro Hardware.

Sog Seal 2000? RTAK? Becker 7? camp rat?

Becker will easily out chop and out cut the SOG SEAL and is overall much more durable. The Camp Tramp will cut alongside the Becker and easily outchop it and be much more durable.

There are lots of ways to go however, and enviroment and skill are key. A Valiant Survival Golok and decent puukko (Ragnar's forge), would work better than a Camp Tramp in many situations.

-Cliff
 
There are lots of ways to go however, and enviroment and skill are key. A Valiant Survival Golok and decent puukko (Ragnar's forge), would work better than a Camp Tramp in many situations.

Absolutely
 
I've never used the survival version of the pocket chainsaw, but I've used a high limb chainsaw quite often. the one that I use the most has a 4 foot chainsaw portion attached to two 150' lengths of ELS cord (Extra Low Stretch). You get that sucker moving back and forth on a branch and it goes through like butter. I've also used the 4 foot saw to take down a 2 foot diameter tree by myself (took a while, but it did it) and a 3 foot diameter tree with a buddy on the other end of the saw.

I've contemplated picking up one of the 2 foot versions to keep in the backpack, but just haven't gotten around to it, but the 4 footer does ride in the car all the time, along with quite a few other tools.

I'll also second RickJ and and Cliff RE the Coghlans Sierra Saw and Felco Pruning saws(blades are made by the same company, IIRC). The Felcos are generally a little more comfortable, if slightly higher priced.

Now if you're expecting to be cutting down a lot of stuff, and you don't want the weight of a chainsaw, look into a Nicholson "Silver Flash" pruning saw. It's about a pound and a half(3 lbs with good, heavy duty sheath), 26" blade, and would cost about $50(US, I notice you're in Canada). Other than a full size felling saw, I haven't found anything non-motorized that cuts better than a Silver Flash, and I've spent a lot of time trimming trees.

Rick, the reason the coghlans and related saws cut on the pull stroke is that they were originally desgined for arborist work, and when you're 50+ feet off the ground in a tree, a push stroke cut winds up giving you a lot more motion, which means it'd be easier to fall. Also, the pull cut saws will bind less, as you can exert more force on them without having to worry about bending the blade.

When it comes to knives to accompany whatever saw you choose, what I have with me depends on where I'm going. I think I own most of the knives mentioned in this thread (Golok, BK7, Camp Tramp, Pukko, Himalayan Imports Khukri, Multitools and lots o SAKs) my personal favorite load out for backcountry camping would be my Corona folding pruning saw(like the Sierra saw, but 10" blade and a wood handle), the Camp Tramp, the everpresent SAK, and then there's a Gerber Multitool and a Pukko in my backpack. I like my Golok, but in my area, it gets more use trimming trees and doing gardening work. Of course, if I needed to break trail through brambles and such the Golok is definitely going along with me, as it's long and light and can be swung all day if necessary, whereas the BK7, Camp tramp, and even the Khukri would leave my arm begging for mercy and would be nowhere near as fast. What works best all depends on what you're going to do.

I don't think you can go wrong with the Camp Tramp or the BK7(Tramp is much more comfy in my hands and sharpens up easier for me), and others have reviewed the U/S saw very highly.

TC
 
Cliff,

A Swede Saw generally cuts better if the wood is dry, but a Silver Flash generally cuts better when the wood is green.

It's kinda hard comparing the two, because a Swede Saw has a straight blade under tension, designed for general cutting, and a SF has a curved blade designed to make it easier to lop off limbs from trees. I like swede saws for the accuracy of cut that they give, but they don't lend themselves well to being carried 50+ feet up into a tree when you're trimming branches, that's why I have the silver flash.

I've done a lot of work with greenwoods, and that's were a saw like the SF excells, with that extremely aggressive tooth pattern.

Here's a pic of the Silver Flash, as well as a link to where I bought mine.
1735_w2.jpg


http://www.forestry-suppliers.com/product_pages/View_Catalog_Page.asp?ID=1735

The company I linked has some pretty good stuff, one of the few places I know of where I can actually still buy a real two man crosscut saw.

TC
 
Thanks, I was looking for it mainly for bucking small woods, 4 to six inches. I use a swede saw, but a large pruning saw of decent ability would be better as it would be easier to use one handed as the other hand has to hold down the wood.

-Cliff
 
Back
Top